Read ahead and plan ahead to make sure you don’t miss important opportunities at the conference you’re attending. Conferences release a schedule of all the talks and presenters weeks to months before the meeting. Check for people you want to meet (potential advisors and their students) and for talks/sessions on the research you are interested in. Do not attempt to plan every minute! But also make sure to not miss talks, sessions, workshops and meetings that are particularly relevant to your research and career.
Check for special workshops and student events. At many conferences there will be specific events organized for students, as well as workshops that will help you develop your professional skills. Many of these will be free or even provide free food, so do not miss out on important networking opportunities, ways to add to your resume or develop your skills.
Start on your poster early. Choose the software you want to use to generate the poster, set up the proper dimensions as specified by the conference and add your title and authors. Design a lay-out early. As you generate figures and maps, add those to the poster. Check along the way that the poster stays at a reasonable file-size, or you may have to downsize some of your images. Plan to print your poster at least a few days prior to leaving for the conference, so that you are not in serious trouble if problems occur.
Prepare an “elevator talk”. Every student should have a 30 second version of a speech explaining their research, since “so what do you do?” is probably the most common question you’ll get at conferences. You look much more professional if you don’t have to stumble to answer that question. Also prepare a 2 minute talk, and have two different versions: for an expert in the field and for someone outside of that specific field. Also be prepared to answer the question “what do you want to do when you graduate?”
Consider getting business cards. They may seem old fashioned, but they can be useful. The cards should include your name, your (University) e-mail address, your phone number, your department and University. When you’re meeting with people, it’s very helpful to be able to exchange contact information easily without having to write it down on cocktail napkins. It is appropriate to ask for someone’s card when that person asks you to send them additional information on your research or when they tell you to contact them in the future about something you just chatted about. Do not ask for a card from everyone you meet.
At the conference:
If your conference has concurrent sessions, it’s ok to move between rooms. Conference sessions and symposia are often scheduled in 1.5-2 hour blocks consisting of a series of 15 minute talks. While it’s considered somewhat rude to leave in the middle of someone’s talk (especially in a small room), it is ok to leave in between talks to attend one in another room (typically during the question and answer portion of a talk). If you are going to do that, try to avoid sitting in the middle of a row or near the front of the room to minimize the disruption associated with leaving.
Don’t eat alone, or only with other Cal Poly students. Lunchtime, dinnertime, and snack breaks are a great time to network. If there’s someone you’ve been trying to meet with, see if you can go with them (or a group they’re in) to lunch. When lunch or breakfast is offered at the meeting, try and sit at a table with at least some people you don’t know or with people you’ve been trying to meet. Even if their expertise ends up being completely outside of your research interests, consider that meal a good opportunity to practice your elevator speech, as well as a way to meet different people.
Make notes. Making notes during presentations can help later remind you of a new research idea you came up with while listening to a talk, the name of a student who told you to contact them after the meeting to talk about their university or the name of a potential grad school advisor. It can also help you stay awake during not-so-exciting presentations…
Don’t be afraid to approach senior/famous scientists, but be respectful. Every famous scientist in your field was once a graduate student and they all remember what it’s like. If a book someone wrote inspired you to join the field, tell them. If you want to get feedback on your research from the person who founded your discipline, ask, but never be pushy and always be respectful.
Look for people who look like they don’t know anybody. During social events and breaks, look for people who look like they don’t know anybody there, introduce yourself, and invite them to join you. These people are usually easy to spot and are often first time conference attendees. If you’re also a first time conference attendee, these are great people to meet because they’re in the same boat as you are. If you’re an experienced attendee, welcoming new members in this way is a nice thing to do.
See some of the city that you’re in. Conferences provide unique opportunities to meet with people and learn about exciting research, and that should be your number 1 priority. However, there is nothing wrong with enjoying your surroundings, especially when you can combine the two by going out to dinner or lunch with new people or by attending field trips or workshops or special events.
When presenting:
Always appear interested and engaged. Looking bored or irritated while standing next to your poster is the best way to make a horrible impression and to chase off anyone who would want to talk to you about your research. There will be times when everyone seems to be interested in any poster but your own, but don’t start texting or doing something else that would indicate you’re bored! Ask a friend to drop by every now and then and start a conversation about your research. Or, if you see another poster presenter close by without a crowd of people surrounding them, ask them about their poster and then guide them to yours. When someone comes to your poster but does not say anything, ask them to let you know if they have any questions.
Prepare an “elevator” speech about your poster. People will ask you to present your poster to them, so have a 3-5 minute story ready at a level appropriate for the meeting (very different whether it’s SSA or SCCUR!) and guide them through your poster figures.
Mention if you’re planning to apply to graduate programs. It is fine to drop casually during your presentation that this was your senior thesis/MSc thesis research and that you’re going to apply to graduate/PhD programs next year, especially if the person you are talking with is from an appealing program.
At the conference:
When presenting: